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hector549

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  1. Upvote
    hector549 got a reaction from Duns Eith in Transfer PhD Program or Remain   
    I think it depends. What you've written is a little vague, but I gather that you have people that you can work with. That's the most important thing--that you have a good, supportive advisor, and can put together a committee.
    You're also in your first year. Things may change. Your interests could evolve. You probably don't know all the faculty in your department yet. You've barely started your program. My advice is to give it some time before thinking about jumping ship.
    Whatever programs you're thinking about trying to transfer to will have other issues. Every program does to some extent. Make sure that whatever issues your program has are really going to be a problem before you spend a lot of money and time starting over somewhere else.
  2. Upvote
    hector549 got a reaction from Marcus_Aurelius in Transfer PhD Program or Remain   
    I think it depends. What you've written is a little vague, but I gather that you have people that you can work with. That's the most important thing--that you have a good, supportive advisor, and can put together a committee.
    You're also in your first year. Things may change. Your interests could evolve. You probably don't know all the faculty in your department yet. You've barely started your program. My advice is to give it some time before thinking about jumping ship.
    Whatever programs you're thinking about trying to transfer to will have other issues. Every program does to some extent. Make sure that whatever issues your program has are really going to be a problem before you spend a lot of money and time starting over somewhere else.
  3. Upvote
    hector549 got a reaction from Marcus_Aurelius in BA vs MA applicants   
    My guess is this might vary by department and application year, but I've heard anecdotally that more students are going into PhD programs with an MA than in the past. It's so competitive that it makes sense. I'm a few years into my PhD at a mid-ranked program. For whatever it's worth: my cohort at my program has 7 students. All but one came in with a master's. The year after me has 4 students. Two have previous graduate work. The first year cohort has 5 students, 4 have an MA. The cohort in front of me has 5 students, two of whom have an MA.
    At my program, then, it's more common than not.
  4. Upvote
    hector549 got a reaction from Duns Eith in BA vs MA applicants   
    My guess is this might vary by department and application year, but I've heard anecdotally that more students are going into PhD programs with an MA than in the past. It's so competitive that it makes sense. I'm a few years into my PhD at a mid-ranked program. For whatever it's worth: my cohort at my program has 7 students. All but one came in with a master's. The year after me has 4 students. Two have previous graduate work. The first year cohort has 5 students, 4 have an MA. The cohort in front of me has 5 students, two of whom have an MA.
    At my program, then, it's more common than not.
  5. Upvote
    hector549 got a reaction from you'll_never_get_to_heaven in Explaining bad semesters?   
    I agree with all of this. Your MA helps demonstrate that you can succeed in doing academic philosophy, and getting your letter writers to explain your bad semesters is the right strategy. Black marks like this on your transcript aren't ideal, but they won't necessarily sink your application, especially provided that you have a strong writing sample and good recommendations. So make sure your sample is as strong as it can possibly be!
  6. Upvote
    hector549 got a reaction from sinkingscarab in Philosophy M.A. admissions statistics   
    They're not competitive. Those programs will take pretty much anyone, because they're cash cows meant to generate revenue for the department, not to prepare students to apply for the PhD. My advice: don't apply to unfunded MA programs, especially at schools that have highly ranked PhD students.
  7. Upvote
    hector549 got a reaction from Olórin in Explaining bad semesters?   
    I agree with all of this. Your MA helps demonstrate that you can succeed in doing academic philosophy, and getting your letter writers to explain your bad semesters is the right strategy. Black marks like this on your transcript aren't ideal, but they won't necessarily sink your application, especially provided that you have a strong writing sample and good recommendations. So make sure your sample is as strong as it can possibly be!
  8. Upvote
    hector549 got a reaction from Marcus_Aurelius in Explaining bad semesters?   
    I agree with all of this. Your MA helps demonstrate that you can succeed in doing academic philosophy, and getting your letter writers to explain your bad semesters is the right strategy. Black marks like this on your transcript aren't ideal, but they won't necessarily sink your application, especially provided that you have a strong writing sample and good recommendations. So make sure your sample is as strong as it can possibly be!
  9. Upvote
    hector549 reacted to Olórin in Explaining bad semesters?   
    1. Transcripts typically play a stronger role at the beginning of evaluating an application, not in the later stage of evaluation.
    2. Your application would look better without the rough semesters. There is no denying that. However, you are in a stronger position than you realize, because you have attended a master's program and have demonstrated your capacity to succeed in philosophy. That fact will reduce an admission committee's concerns.
    3. If you are sure that you want to say something about it, ask one of your letter writers to address it in their recommendation. "DisplayName_1 informed me about two rough semesters from a time before deciding to pursue philosophy. I assure you these semesters are not representative of current academic ability and performance. blah blah."
  10. Upvote
    hector549 got a reaction from Marcus_Aurelius in Philosophy M.A. admissions statistics   
    I'm going to say something stronger here: even if NYU gives you a full tuition remission (something which I very much doubt!), it's still not worth going, for two reasons.
    First, NYU is in in Manhattan. NY is an expensive town. Even if you live in a cheaper area of the city and commute, you'll still be borrowing a significant amount for living expenses.
    Secondly, and most importantly, the MA isn't going to set you up to be successful with PhD admissions. Just for kicks, I emailed NYU and asked for their placement record. They told me that they didn't have that data. Either they're lying, which would have to be because their admissions record is so bad they don't want anyone to know about it, or they don't care enough about how their MA students do in admissions to bother tracking it. Either way, this doesn't look exactly speak well to their program.
    Could you go to NYU for an MA and get into a decent PhD program? Sure, but there are much better funded options.
  11. Upvote
    hector549 got a reaction from Glasperlenspieler in Philosophy M.A. admissions statistics   
    I'm going to say something stronger here: even if NYU gives you a full tuition remission (something which I very much doubt!), it's still not worth going, for two reasons.
    First, NYU is in in Manhattan. NY is an expensive town. Even if you live in a cheaper area of the city and commute, you'll still be borrowing a significant amount for living expenses.
    Secondly, and most importantly, the MA isn't going to set you up to be successful with PhD admissions. Just for kicks, I emailed NYU and asked for their placement record. They told me that they didn't have that data. Either they're lying, which would have to be because their admissions record is so bad they don't want anyone to know about it, or they don't care enough about how their MA students do in admissions to bother tracking it. Either way, this doesn't look exactly speak well to their program.
    Could you go to NYU for an MA and get into a decent PhD program? Sure, but there are much better funded options.
  12. Upvote
    hector549 got a reaction from Duns Eith in Philosophy M.A. admissions statistics   
    They're not competitive. Those programs will take pretty much anyone, because they're cash cows meant to generate revenue for the department, not to prepare students to apply for the PhD. My advice: don't apply to unfunded MA programs, especially at schools that have highly ranked PhD students.
  13. Upvote
    hector549 got a reaction from Marcus_Aurelius in Philosophy M.A. admissions statistics   
    They're not competitive. Those programs will take pretty much anyone, because they're cash cows meant to generate revenue for the department, not to prepare students to apply for the PhD. My advice: don't apply to unfunded MA programs, especially at schools that have highly ranked PhD students.
  14. Upvote
    hector549 got a reaction from Olórin in Philosophy M.A. admissions statistics   
    They're not competitive. Those programs will take pretty much anyone, because they're cash cows meant to generate revenue for the department, not to prepare students to apply for the PhD. My advice: don't apply to unfunded MA programs, especially at schools that have highly ranked PhD students.
  15. Upvote
    hector549 got a reaction from Glasperlenspieler in Philosophy M.A. admissions statistics   
    They're not competitive. Those programs will take pretty much anyone, because they're cash cows meant to generate revenue for the department, not to prepare students to apply for the PhD. My advice: don't apply to unfunded MA programs, especially at schools that have highly ranked PhD students.
  16. Like
    hector549 got a reaction from you'll_never_get_to_heaven in Philosophy M.A. admissions statistics   
    They're not competitive. Those programs will take pretty much anyone, because they're cash cows meant to generate revenue for the department, not to prepare students to apply for the PhD. My advice: don't apply to unfunded MA programs, especially at schools that have highly ranked PhD students.
  17. Like
    hector549 got a reaction from Stencil in Questions regarding Online MSc in Philosophy at Edinburgh   
    @Duns Eithhas already given you good advice. To add to the general air of negativity here: if there's something else that you'd like to do, and that you think you'd be good at, it would be preferable to do that if you can. There aren't really many good academic jobs at all in philosophy, more are disappearing every day, our society doesn't much value humanities education, and most public universities in America (the ones where you'd formerly have had a chance of getting a job) are struggling/going to struggle more (especially humanities departments at these institutions), thanks to the economic fallout from COVID and the enrollment cliff. If you're not familiar with the enrollment cliff, this is it. It's bleak. If you're dead set on trying philosophy, plan on doing something else other than teaching after (i.e., career change). This won't be an easy path either.
    If you're dead set on doing philosophy, an MA can be a good way to test the waters. My advice: don't do an unfunded MA. It's not a degree that's going to pay off, so it's not worth paying a bunch of money for it. If you can't get into a funded MA in philosophy, then you should probably just go do something else (being very blunt here). I'd also strongly recommend that you not do an online degree. I did my MA, and then COVID hit during the first year of my PhD, so I've gotten the normal in-person grad school experience, as well as the online substitute. Again, to be blunt--doing grad school online sucks. Part of what adds value to a grad program are your interactions with people in your department. You chat with other grad students before seminar, you run into faculty in the hall, etc. You feel like you're part of something. None of that happens if you're doing your education online. I know Edinburgh has a nice reputation, but I still wouldn't do it. Also, I'd imagine that it'd be harder to form the kinds of connections you need to get letters from faculty for PhD applications if you're only interacting online.
  18. Upvote
    hector549 got a reaction from PolPhil in European student dreaming of Ph.D in USA   
    I don't think you'll be at a disadvantage coming from a European university. People here have heard of Leuven and LMU Munich. Those are schools with some prestige here, at least in philosophy. As @Marcus_Aureliussays, focus on your sample and getting strong letters from faculty.
    If you want to work on 20th century German and French philosophy, though, Virginia and Missouri aren't going to be a good fit for you, so make sure you're applying to programs that make sense given your interests and the topic of your writing sample.
  19. Upvote
    hector549 reacted to Heidegger99 in European student dreaming of Ph.D in USA   
    Thanks for the much appreciated advice @hector549 and @Marcus_Aurelius! 
  20. Upvote
    hector549 got a reaction from Marcus_Aurelius in European student dreaming of Ph.D in USA   
    I don't think you'll be at a disadvantage coming from a European university. People here have heard of Leuven and LMU Munich. Those are schools with some prestige here, at least in philosophy. As @Marcus_Aureliussays, focus on your sample and getting strong letters from faculty.
    If you want to work on 20th century German and French philosophy, though, Virginia and Missouri aren't going to be a good fit for you, so make sure you're applying to programs that make sense given your interests and the topic of your writing sample.
  21. Like
    hector549 got a reaction from Heidegger99 in European student dreaming of Ph.D in USA   
    I don't think you'll be at a disadvantage coming from a European university. People here have heard of Leuven and LMU Munich. Those are schools with some prestige here, at least in philosophy. As @Marcus_Aureliussays, focus on your sample and getting strong letters from faculty.
    If you want to work on 20th century German and French philosophy, though, Virginia and Missouri aren't going to be a good fit for you, so make sure you're applying to programs that make sense given your interests and the topic of your writing sample.
  22. Upvote
    hector549 reacted to Marcus_Aurelius in European student dreaming of Ph.D in USA   
    Like for pretty much all applicants, your writing sample will be most important, along with letters of recommendation. If you have a dynamite sample, and established professors who can vouch for you (and perhaps contextualize the grading system / address the grades), you should have a shot. So, writing sample writing sample writing sample. 
  23. Upvote
    hector549 reacted to Penny_Power in Enroll in a mid-tier program vs reapply   
    Maybe I'm wrong in the aggregate, but what I have been told by a large number of friends and acquaintances is that housing costs near central Austin are very high. This was confirmed by me just trying to look for a place near campus on apartments.com. Other people who live in the city are able to dodge these costs by avoiding central Austin, working remote, or in Georgetown/Round Rock, but if you try to dodge these costs by living far out as a grad student then you are eating other costs in transportation, parking, etc. One thing that is important to keep in mind about Austin as a city is that there is no effective public transit infrastructure. The buses are unreliable, there is no subway or similar system, and the highway system in Austin is a complete mess. I say all of this only to communicate how important it is to have money in the city. 

    Maybe it is possible to make it work in Austin on 20k, but it is certainly not comfortable. My sense from the initial impression was that Austin was being lumped together with other small towns in Texas or rural areas as if the costs of living are similar. I know of programs which are much lower ranked than UT Austin and in much, much cheaper cities that have a higher stipend. Graduate students at UT have been trying to organize for some time because their situation is not livable. 
  24. Upvote
    hector549 reacted to Penny_Power in Enroll in a mid-tier program vs reapply   
    Hello. I am a lifetime Austinite, and I'd like to let you know: Austin does not have low cost of living. The rent for apartments in or around UT is very high, as Austin has been "the new Silicon valley" for quite awhile. Even the surrounding areas of Austin are expensive because of its sprawling suburbs. Austin is much more similar to east coast cities like Boston or NYC than it is to say Plano or El Paso. It is expensive, and 20k/yr in Austin is not particularly livable. 

    It is also important to recognize: Not only is UT-Austin's stipend low, it is infamously low. I would recommend strong caution against taking promises of higher funding in the future at their word. 

    Sorry if this is bad news, I'd just like to prevent the spread of misinformation based on enthusiasm. Graduate programs in general are exploitative, but I have heard first hand accounts of how UT-Austin's program is particularly bad. They rely on this sort of misinformation to mislead students.
  25. Upvote
    hector549 reacted to Marcus_Aurelius in Enroll in a mid-tier program vs reapply   
    You can try your luck with waitlists if desired, but if WashU PNP has an adequate stipend such that you'll be able to live reasonably comfortably, and you think you'll be reasonably happy in the program, absolutely take it. There are too many risks to reapplying, and also opportunity cost. Chances of a TT job are so small anyway, and if anything (totally spitballing here), a PNP program might give you better non-academic job options than a straight Philosophy program.
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